Somebody that I Used to Know
by Rebellious.Goody.Two-Shoes
Summary: Sam had thought that he and Max belonged together. / A short one-shot as a tribute to Sam, from School's Out- Forever. Inspired by Gotye's Somebody that I Used to Know, and Cha-Cha-Cheesecake's Tears in Winter. My take on Sam's feelings about the Flock. Reviews are welcome. Rated K plus. Fax if you squint. Username switch: LetTheInkFlow


**9.21_A/N: Reviews are welcome. Please, tell me what you think.**

**EDIT_10.6: Just wanted to fix up some unclear parts. **

**EDIT_11.9: Made a few very minor additions.**

_But you didn't have to cut me off_

_Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing_

_And I don't even need your love_

_But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough_

A week ago, Sam would have thought that he and Max belonged together. They fit like pieces of a puzzle, always comfortable around each other, never fake or forced. At least, Sam did.

When they first met at school, he had to clench his jaw and avert his eyes to keep from staring. She was pretty- very much so, with long and wavy blonde hair, and those stunning hazel brown eyes. She was standing behind him and he had turned around, tearing his eyes off of the kayak he wanted so badly. She looked frustrated, and maybe kind of violent, eyeing the six computers, all full.

"Here, I can get off." He offered, slightly out of breath. She looked over at him, kind of shocked.

"What?"

"I don't need the computer anymore. You can have it." He began pulling his books into his arms. He deserted the chair and nudged it towards the confused girl. She eyed him somewhat suspiciously, like he was about to pull a gun on her.

Eventually she relented to his insistent stare and put a hand on the chair back somewhat reluctantly. "Oh, okay. Thanks."

"You're new." Sam said, not budging from his spot. He could tell she wasn't going to sit until he left. Still, he stayed and tried to focus while her suspicious and very pretty gaze stayed locked on his face. "You're in my Language Arts class."

She looked at him for a second, like she was trying to draw his name and face from a cluttered drawer of others. "Yeah." She agreed after a second. "I'm Max."

"I know. I'm Sam." He smiled widely at her, and watched as she blinked, lost in thought for a minute. He waited a moment, but she didn't respond. "Where did you move from?" He asked, hoping to prolong his departure.

"Uh… Missouri." She stuttered, a little unsure sounding.

"Wow." He said, raising his eyebrows in what he hoped looked sympathetic. "Midwest. This must be pretty different for you."

"Yep." Her short answer practically screamed _'Go away!'_, but Sam stuck around.

"So, are you doing schoolwork or more of a personal project?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, eyebrows drawn together. Then she reverted back to normal.

"Um, more of a personal project." She answered.

He smiled at her again, scrambling for a reason he wouldn't have to leave. "Me too. I was checking out this kayak I want to buy. I'm hoping my Christmas money will be enough." He could tell he was seriously pushing her patience by then, which couldn't be good. The look she was giving him was somewhat dangerous.

"Cool." She replied awkwardly. Sam opened his mouth to say more, but decided to hold in the question. They had just met, he would sound like some kind of creep if he asked her out already.

Instead, he said, "Well, I'll let you get to it then." He then pulled the stack of books into his arms and ran out of there as fast as he could, overwhelmed by the mere thought of her.

Their date had been amazing too. She was dressed casually in a really baggy hoodie and a pair of holey boot-cut jeans whose hems were torn beyond disbelief. She seemed jittery that night, which Sam hoped was nerves. He had hoped she liked him as much as he liked her.

They saw a violent military espionage film that oddly enough, didn't make her squirm in terror… just as oddly enough, it seemed she was squirming in discomfort, like the scenes were familiar. Soon enough though, the movie had ended, and they burst out of the crowded theater onto the even more crowded streets. He had held her hand on the way to Ye Old Ice Cream Shoppe.

She didn't care about her weight, ordering a huge sundae that Sam might not have been able to eat. She shoveled it all in though, smiling as she did, and he couldn't help but like that.

During a conversation about Thanksgiving and his horrible family, she froze in terror, looking outside the shop's display window.

"Max? Are you okay?" He asked. She hadn't replied, just kept her gaze locked behind him at something outside. "You okay?" He tried again, swiveling in his chair to catch a glimpse of what she was looking at in abject fright. Nothing was there, but she still watched the glass with a certain kind of stiffness.

She'd responded distantly to his concerns, and for the rest of the date she seemed a little off and kind of tense.

He brought up his sundae observation in a low attempt to lighten the mood and she smiled, cheeks going a little red, but happy either way.

The rest of the date hadn't been that memorable- at least, not up until the kiss. They were standing awkwardly on the porch, and then something tugged him forwards, and their lips met in a soft embrace. Then his sister had to go and ruin it by leaning on the horn. She had grinned happily and bid him goodnight before running inside.

And now, there he was a week later, lying on his back in the hallway, perplexed and confused and heart-breakingly hurt. He'd noticed she was running from something; it was hard to miss, really. She had hurtled down the hallway at nearly impossible speeds with a panicky expression plastered across her face like it was stuck there with glue. A few seconds later several enraged teachers came running after her. She was yelling gibberish at the top of her lungs, but evidently her family understood the code because her siblings came bursting out of nearby classrooms. They had joined her, running side by side at speeds Sam could only envy of running.

In a desperate attempt to help her and her siblings, even though he had never really liked Nick, he had yanked open the door to an empty classroom and yelled at her to get inside. "Come on! Through here!" He promised her that she could trust him, he wanted her to be safe and carefree like when they were hand in hand at the ice cream parlor. She had stared him in the face while she ran, and at the last second, when he thought she was going to make a sharp turn, she bowled over him.

"The thing is, I can't trust anybody!" She had yelled, and left him lying in the dust.

A week ago, he had thought they were perfect.

Now he knows they aren't.

Three years later, they meet again. Actually, their entire grade- which is now a big group of juniors who didn't really change that much, just evolved into slightly less immature versions of their freshman forms, run into the six again. They're taking another boring and repetitive field trip through D.C. when people start swarming a small group of kids pushing open the doors of the state building, wearing matching frustrated expressions.

Recently, the news has been reporting on the mutant bird-children, the barely-avoided end of the world and nothing else. Headlines like, "Mutants Save World from Apocalypse" and "Bird Kids: Our Saviors" are suddenly all anyone sees. When a random tourists shouts, "It's the bird kids!" people come running from all directions.

Sam watches with interest and hurt as six very familiar, but definitely older, people shove roughly through the excited press. He watches them scan the crowd for a clearing where they'll be able to break away from the media. Then, Max's eyes land on Sam and she goes stiff and rigid. Next to him, Lissa, J.J. and Tess watch with wide eyes at the old and yet very familiar sight before them.

Lissa whimpers a little, and kind of stretches a hand out towards Nick, like she wants to run to him. Max actually glares at the red-headed girl in disgust.

Nick catches sight of their old classmates right then. He elbows a tall, pale figure next to him, whispers something into his ear. They've gotten even taller, Max clocking in at about six foot one and Nick and Jeff at least six four. (Something in the back of his mind questions, "They found Jeff?" because last Sam remembered, he had been missing when the siblings ran out.) Either way, he turns his blank eyes towards the group of curious juniors as if he's able to see them.

J.J. looks sadly at Max, who Sam had known to be friends with back in freshman year.

Max looks at them for a second, statue still, before turning back to her little group. She says something and puts out her hands, fingers locked together. The crowd titters with excitement. First Ariel, then Zephyr and finally Tiffany puts a sneakered foot in her palm, before jumping up into the air. Nobody tries to conceal the awe they feel at seeing their magnificent wings at work. Nick helps Jeff up, and then he and Max link hands, jumping straight up into the breeze.

Below them, cameras flash and people shout questions randomly, but the bird kids are having none of it. They swoop down a little lower than normal, heading straight towards the group of students. When they're directly above the juniors, Ariel and Tiffany and Zephyr wave, big grins on their faces, while Jeff looks straight ahead in silence, jaw tight. Nick stares down at them with emotionless eyes and a light frown, and Max opens her mouth to shout something.

"_I'm sorry." _The words, practically lost in the wind, sound more sophisticated coming from older Max's mouth, but they're just as meaningful as the kiss he and younger Max shared three years ago.

Three years ago, Sam had thought that he and Max belonged together. Now, he accepts that she was just somebody that he used to know.

_No you didn't have to stoop so low_

_Have your friends collect your records and then change your number_

_I guess that I don't need that though_

_Now you're just somebody that I used to know_

_(Somebody that I Used to Know- Gotye, feat. Kimbra)_

**A/N: Kinda cheesy, but I'm pleased with the results. Thanks to xXWingedmenaceXx for pointing out a small error. Please review!**


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